Keep Me
by 107derwent
Summary: Sometimes there's only one person who can help you overcome old traumas. COMPLETE.
1. Save me

**A/N:** Hello, everyone! This is the first big story that I post on the fandom, so I'm really excited about it. The idea came out to me a couple of weeks ago when I was brooding about one particular character in the show, then this first chapter was born. I'll be updating every Friday night, so stay tuned. Hope you enjoy the reading!

EDIT: If you're a new reader, welcome and I'd still love to hear your thoughts throughout the story! :)

 **Disclaimer:** I don't own any of _That 70's Show_ characters.

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CHAPTER 01

 **SAVE ME**

It was a clear night in Point Place. Jackie and her group of girlfriends from work walked through the streets of downtown after hours of dancing and having fun at the most recently opened club in town.

After walking three blocks away from the club, the little click was startled by the door of a nearby bar opening loudly when a big guy harshly shoveled a drunken costumer out to the parking lot. He yelled for him to never come back, while the young man tottered towards his car – a black El Camino which Jackie recognized immediately.

"Steven…" She mumbled as she stopped on her tracks, making her friends look puzzled at her.

"What?" One of them asked.

"Uh, you can go without me. I have to help him." Jackie shook her head, turning to her friends with an anxious face.

"Jackie, are you crazy? He seems out of his mind." Another one said grabbing her arm, worried about her friend's safety.

"No, no. He's a friend." The brunette said, already walking towards her ex-boyfriend. "Thanks for the night, girls."

The clicking of her high heel boots echoed through the almost empty parking lot as she jogged on Steven's direction. He was already by his car, trying unsuccessfully to stick the key into the keyhole.

"Steven, what are you doing?" Jackie's small voice startled Hyde, making him tilt his head towards her.

"I, uh… keys…" He mumbled, not able to form a coherent sentence due to the amount of alcohol in his system.

Mercy and pity took hold of Jackie's face as she noticed how drunk he was. Deciding it was a bad idea to let him drive in such a deplorable condition, she cautiously approached him and took the keys out of his wobbly hands.

Hyde looked at her with the saddest face she'd ever seen and opened his mouth to say something, but was quickly cut out by an acid taste rising up from his stomach. Despite the slow reflex, he managed to turn around in time to throw up away from his ex-girlfriend. Worried, Jackie hurried and rubbed his back gently, attempting to soothe his nerves and show that she was there for him.

By the time, the bar door opened once more, displaying another strong angry man who began to yell right away. "Where is he?!" He stepped furiously towards Hyde, but Jackie quickly interfered, standing up and raising her hands in front of her, as an attempt to make the guy stop on his tracks.

"Back off, okay?" She yelled at him, more furious than the strong man would expect for a so tiny girl to be. "He's sick, for God's sake. Just get back and let me take care of this, Brutus."

Other two guys hurried to pull him back inside the bar before he could advance towards Jackie. "You're lucky you're woman, you bitch! Otherwise you'd be in a worse condition than your friend is."

Jackie didn't bother the insult. After all, it was only a stupid drunk bully thinking he's a badass. For a moment, she was amused to think that Steven got into trouble with a guy three times his size. That's a real badass.

"Come on, Steven. Let's go home." Jackie tried to pull him up and led his sluggish body to the passenger seat of the El Camino, sitting at the driver's seat then. Reaching over, she rolled the passenger window down so Steven could breathe some fresh air as they headed his home. Resting his head on the side of the car, he felt the cool breeze break into his nostrils, giving him a little bit of relief from the nausea.

"How do you know where I live, Jackie?" He asked sleepy, not even opening his eyes.

"I've been there lots of times, remember?"

The corner of his lips lifted up on a wicked smirk. "Oh yeah… in a sexy nightgown."

Jackie grimaced and looked quickly at the drunken boy. "What? No! I've been there for dinner with Donna, Fez, Eric…"

"Yeah, in a sexy nightgown," he insisted, still smiling, which made her chuckle. No point of arguing with a drunken person. That would've probably been a sexy dream he had about her. _Huh. Thinking about it… that's interesting._

The El Camino reached Hyde's parking lot about 10 minutes later and Jackie quickly hopped off to help Steven. "Come on, baby. You gotta help me here. I can't carry you all the way up by myself," she said, as Hyde put an arm around her shoulders for support.

"You called me baby," he said with a goofy smile, making her laugh again. He was such a dork when drunk, but still adorable.

"Shut up, Steven. I'm just trying to be nice. Now use your legs, or I'll leave you here in the parking lot."

Once inside Hyde's apartment, Jackie led him to the bathroom and sat him down on the toilet seat, checking him out for a few moments. His face and hands were all bruised and cut, showing that he'd had a tough time at that bar.

"Why do you do this to yourself, baby?" She cupped his beaten face inside her tiny hands and rubbed his cheeks with the tips of her thumbs. Something really bad must've happened to him so he would go out alone and get wasted that badly. Hyde's eyes closed lazily by the gentle touch of his former lover, pressing his cheeks further into her hands. Tonight, he really needed some comfort, and it was nice to be taken care of, especially by her.

Jackie smiled to see him relaxing under her touch just like when they were together. Since that blonde bimbo left Hyde, they managed to stay friends as far as possible. They still hung out at the same places and she'd even been to his place a few times with the gang for drinks and dinner. However, they hadn't had much physical contact till this moment, and it felt good to know that she still had this effect on him.

Deciding that he was still too dazed, Jackie walked to the shower, regulating its water to a tepid temperature. "A shower will make you feel better, Steven. Strip down and get in here so I can take care of your cuts then. You look awful."

"But you'll see me naked," he whined, feigning shame.

"As I haven't seen you naked like a million times," she said between chuckles and reached for the hem of his shirt to help him strip. He still looked good, she thought, but it was no time to think about that. Next, she crouched down and took his boots off, leaving him only in his pants. "You can keep your underwear on if you prefer that way. I'll be back in a few minutes." Hyde clumsy stood up and took off his pants. Then Jackie helped him get into the shower and left the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

An amazing feeling spread over Hyde's body as he entered under the warm shower. _How come did I get that drunk?_ It's been months that he hadn't been that wasted, and he knew why he did tonight. As he regained some of his senses, he silently thanked God – or whatever – for Jackie finding him in the middle of the night. He would've probably done something even more stupid and dangerous than fighting a guy in a bar if she hasn't shown up.

A couple of minutes later, he saw her small hand stick into the shower box holding a toothbrush. Her attentiveness to the minor details made him smile, so he grabbed it from her hands and began to wash his mouth, which still got an unpleasant taste of bile.

Finishing the invigorating shower, he stepped onto the fluffy bathroom rug Mrs. Forman had given to him when he moved into this apartment, and began to dry himself up. On the sink counter, a pile of neatly folded jammies waited for him. As he finished putting them on, he heard a knock on the door.

"Steven, are you feeling okay?" Jackie's voice asked from the other side of the door. He opened it up and found her preoccupied eyes staring right at him.

"Better, but not completely okay." He scowled a little bit, as his fingers rubbed his temples. He was already feeling this huge headache coming up, but sobriety hadn't arrived completely.

"Come lay down." Jackie pulled Hyde by the hand and laid him down on his bed, handing him a glass of water and some Aspirin. She reached for the medicines on his nightstand and began to take care of his bruises. "Are you gonna tell me now what were you thinking of when you decided to get into a fight?"

"I was drunk."

"No kidding," she said sarcastically, making him chuckle, but soon he got serious again. Taking a deep breath, Hyde gathered some courage to tell her the truth – possibly because of the remaining alcohol running through his veins. He needed to confide it to someone.

"I got a letter from Edna this afternoon. She found out I'm working with WB now and asked for some fucking money."

Jackie was speechless. Steven had never heard about his mom after she left, and she could imagine how angry he might've been to learn that the only reason she wanted to contact him was because of money, something he'd never had his entire life till now.

Deciding that she had to say something to break the awkward silence, the brunette managed to ask "How did she found out about that?"

"Apparently, she lives in Vegas now and coincidentally met the hell of my fake ex-wife who told her everything about my current life," Steven explained, clearly getting angry with the subject.

Jackie's eyes grew wide. _That bitch!_ Not only had she turned her life into a living hell, but now she wanted to screw Steven's too. Silence took over the room for a while, interrupted only by a feel whimpers when an alcohol moistened cotton stung Hyde's cut skin.

"Have you figured out what are you gonna do?"

"No. I thought that drinking half of Craig's Bar booze would help me out about that, but I guess I was just wrong."

Jackie smiled sadly. "If it makes you feel any better, my mom also asked me for money before she left for Mexico last month," she tried, but knowing it wasn't the same situation. Pam still came back every year to spend some time with her daughter, and she always called back when in Mexico, even if it was only to remind Jackie how she would never be as flawless as her mother.

Steven's face didn't lose any trace of anger. In fact, he seemed more pissed than before. "We've got the worst mothers in the whole world."

"We do, but we don't have to be like them, you know. We're better than that," she said with a small smile and put the medicines back on the nightstand. "I guess I'm done here. You need some rest now."

The brunette looked down at her ex-boyfriend and noticed that he was staring back at her. His drunken eyes looked sad, breaking her heart once again. One of her hands caressed his scruffy cheek for a few moments before motioning to stand up, but Hyde was faster and reached for her hand, pulling her to lie beside him.

"Steven!" She squealed and laughed, attempting to get rid of his hold.

"Just for a few minutes," he asked softly, quieter than she'd ever heard him since they broke up the last time. She could feel he was miserable and vulnerable. He just needed some comfort, something she could never deny to a friend – even if her ways were kinda odd sometimes.

"Just for a few minutes," she repeated before taking her boots off and climbing under the covers with the once love of her life. Resting her back on the headboard, she let Steven cozily snuggle to her stomach, as if she was still his chick. Her fingers tangled in his damp hair, massaging his scalp for several minutes, before she felt his breathing slow down.

"Thanks, Jackie," was the last thing she heard coming from his slurred voice before she also drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, Hyde woke up with a tremendous headache. The curtains in his bedroom were thankfully closed, preventing the crashing sunlight to worsen the pain. Through his blurred vision, he noticed he was alone – no sign of Jackie –, but a glass of water, some aspirin and a note waited for him on the nightstand.

 _Steven,_

 _I took your car to come back home. Sorry about that, but I'll bring it back by noon, promise. You'll probably stay in bed till then if I know you well, so I hope it's not a big deal._

 _Love, Jackie._

Hyde finished reading with a sleepy smile. She was right. It was still 9am and there was no way he was gonna wake up this early on a Saturday morning. After taking an aspirin, he rolled over and came back to sleep, not even noticing the satisfied smile still placed on his face.

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 **A/N2:** So how was it? Did it catch your attention? If it did, don't forget to follow the story and tell me what you think. I really appreciate your thoughts! Till the next time!


	2. Push me

**A/N:** Thank you all who followed, favorited and reviewed the story, including guests! Here is the second chapter. Reviews are not required, but really appreciated! Enjoy!

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

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CHAPTER 02

 **PUSH ME**

Jackie came by by noon as she'd promised. The studio apartment looked just like she'd left it, proving that Steven hadn't left bed as she assumed he would. Quietly, she entered his bedroom, not before taking off the boots so the noise wouldn't bother him. After years of dating him, she knew he wasn't a very pleasant person when hangover.

However, she also learnt a trick to wake him up on these days that would help his nerves to calm down. Obviously, she couldn't do it now – she wasn't his girlfriend anymore –, but there might've been another similar way to do it. Sitting on the edge of his bed, Jackie leaned down and gently scratched his curls, whispering for him to wake up, earning her an almost immediate response.

Hyde's body stirred before he sluggishly turned around to look at the source of the fondling. "Hey," he whispered in a very slurred tone as he saw Jackie's smile to him.

"I brought you some of Kitty's chicken soup. I thought it would make you feel better," she said, sitting up.

"You didn't have to, but thanks." He smiled sincerely at her, slightly patting her closest knee. He couldn't deny how much a good friend she was, even if their past wasn't all rainbows and unicorns. Jackie could be bitchy and self-centered most of the times, but when it concerned on helping her friends out, she always did a pretty good job.

The tiny chick smiled back and stood up, walking over to open the curtains. "I had to bring back the Camino anyway, and the Forman's are on my way. Besides, I guess Kitty gets overexcited everytime she has the chance to take care of one of us, even more when almost all the gang is out of town like this weekend."

Hyde winced at the dazzling light coming inside his bedroom as the curtains got opened, and quickly pushed the covers over his head as a reflex.

"Come on, Steven. You look way better today," Jackie said.

"It freaking hurts my eyes," his muffled voice complained from under the covers. He would never get used with sunlight coming inside his bedroom and it was all his basement room's fault. People could say all they want about it being an insalubrious place to live, but, God, it was incredible to wake up in complete darkness. His eyes had always been very thankful.

"Oh, don't be such a baby," she said and jumped playfully onto the shapeless lump his covered body created on the bed, making him growl painfully, then laugh. She squealed and giggled next as he shoveled her body aside and did the same to her.

"Steven, this is not fair! You're way heavier than me." The ex-cheerleader had some hard time to push him away – first because she was so tiny, second because she couldn't stop laughing –, but eventually she made it. "I'll give you two minutes to do all your bathroom stuff and be out there to eat. Your body might be weak by now."

Hyde watched her leave and did what she told him to, appearing at the living room a few minutes later. A bowl of warm chicken soup waited for him on the coffee table and the TV was on with Scooby-Doo. It felt such a childish way to spend the Saturday, but he thought he deserved some of that; after all he acted like a kid the night before being inconsequent and drinking till passing out.

Jackie came right after with her own bowl and sat down on the couch next to him, watching the TV silently for a few minutes.

"You wanna talk about yesterday?" She asked eventually during the commercials.

"I dunno. Do I have to?"

She shrugged. "Not really. But I could try and help you figure out what to do." She put her bowl down on the coffee table and turned to face him. "Look, Steven, I actually thought about your situation this morning and I think you should contact your mother back."

"What? Why would I do that?" The curly haired boy grimaced at his ex-girlfriend, looking slightly irritated. "Jackie, I can't stand Edna. You should know that better than anyone else."

Jackie took a deep breath and put a hand on his arm, trying to make him understand her. "I know, Steven. But I also think you and your mom need some kind of closure. She ran away leaving a lot of questions behind. Aren't you curious to know what the hell happened to her or why she left?"

"For real? No, I'm not." His brows arched up as he shrugged. "She's just a piece of my past that I wanna forget. You didn't know her. She was not what people call a role model."

"Yeah, you told me that like a hundred times, and that's why I think you should do it. You're not over her leaving you, otherwise you would never talk about it. But I've already lost the track of how many times you complained about her for me, which assures me you have to do it." She sighted before continuing. "Look, I'm not asking you to forgive her, but I'm sure it would do you good to tell her everything you keep inside and to hear what she has to say."

He had his arms crossed in front of his chest by now, and his face showed annoyance, but also understanding. He knew she was right, but it was just too damn hard to conceive that he would have to face Edna once more in his life. It was not exactly a situation he wanted to be in again.

Still staring angrily at the TV, he released a loud sight and said "I don't want her to come for me. I don't want her to see what I achieved, even if it's not too much."

"Then you'll have to go to her. It's not something you can talk about on the phone, you know? At least now you know where she is."

He tilted his head towards his ex-girlfriend and stared at her for a few moments. She noticed he wanted to say something, but was apprehensive. However, she didn't push, just let him take his time.

"Would you come with me?"

Jackie's eyes grew wide in awe. "Excuse me?"

"Would you come with me to Vegas?" He asked again, not bothering with her reaction.

"Why me?"

"Well, I can't ask Forman or Kelso to leave their fiancées and come with me to Vegas. Donna and Brooke boss those relationships and they would never let them do it. Besides I don't even know when Fez's coming back from wherever the country he's from. I don't wanna do this by myself and you're my only choice left."

The truth was that, even if any other of his friends were available to board on this journey with him, he would've asked Jackie to come. She'd never actually met Edna; still she was the one who mostly knew about her relationship with her son. Besides, she was also a victim of parent careless, so she understood the discomfort he felt about this whole situation.

Jackie pondered the invitation for several moments. She hated that city with all her heart, even if she'd never been there before. Because of all the recklessness and craziness allowed there, she lost the love of her life to a random skank, followed by other misfortunes she didn't like to remember. However, Steven needed someone to support him in such a hard time, and nobody better than her to be this someone. After all, bad parents was a subject she was very familiar with.

"Okay. I'll go with you," she said seriously, "but we'll come back as soon as possible. I hate that place."

Hyde smirked. It was like she'd just read his thoughts. "I hate it as much as you do."

"Really?" She frowned and backed off a little bit, taken aback by his confession.

"Yeah." He nodded, looking right into her big eyes. "And you know why."

His blue eyes showed her that he felt the same way. He lost his mind in that city and lost his girl when he came back, something he would always regret. But it was all in the past now and they were doing great being just friends. All they had to do was to move on with their lives.

After a few awkward moments of staring at each other, Hyde said "Do you think you can take a few days off from work this week?"

"You wanna leave already?" She asked, resuming her already cold lunch.

"I was thinking about hitting the road to Milwaukee tomorrow morning." He shrugged, also taking his own bowl. "If I don't do this as soon as possible, I might not do it at all."

"Uh, okay. I just have to call my boss. She really likes me, so I guess it won't be such a big deal. I can compensate it next week."

"That's cool." He smiled at her, thankfulness spread all over his face.

After lunch, Hyde took the dishes to the kitchen while Jackie made a call to her boss. He couldn't believe he was actually doing this: going after Edna, one of the many people who abandoned him. It felt like digging up old traumas, memories he spent years pushing away, but it was something that needed to be done. Thanks for Jackie, he was going to put an end to this – hopefully.

"All set up. I got two days off." Jackie said, stepping into the kitchen a few minutes later. She grabbed a dishcloth and began to dry the bowls Steven had just finished washing. "Can you bring me home after I finish here so I can start packing? It's stupid Vegas, and I need to choose my outfits wisely. I need to look better than those skanks who use to hang out there." In other words, she had to look more attractive than any Sam-alike Vegas bimbo. That would be the only way she could rescue the self-esteem that that boyfriend thief stripper took away from her.

He chuckled. "It won't be too much trouble for you, doll. You already look better than them."

"It's a shame beauty is not enough to hold a man. Girls need to know how to lap dance nowadays to get what they want." Jackie teased, but realized she went too far when she saw the annoyed frown forming up on his face. He got exactly what she was inferring by those words.

"It's time for you to go home." He turned around to leave the kitchen, but Jackie followed him.

"Steven, I'm sorry. You know I don't like talking about it either, but I just can't help it. We're coming back to the place that destroyed our relationship. It's not easy to just ignore it." She waved a hand in annoyance letting both arms fall limply down her sides and waited for him to say something.

He ran a hand down his face, while the other rested on his waist. He obviously knew what she was talking about. His fake marriage wasn't an easy thought to get rid of, but they would have to manage to keep it under control if they weren't planning on killing each other for the next few days.

"Okay. I'm sorry too, but we have to make an effort to drop this subject while we're there. This is not about Sam. It's about my freaking mother," he said quietly, making Jackie's muscles relax.

The brunette nodded, consenting with what he'd just said. "I better go home now. You'll need some alone time to brood about this whole thing before we get there." She gave him a supportive smile, which he responded with a sigh and a nod. Then, they both left the apartment towards Jackie's.

"I'll pick you up at 7 sharp tomorrow morning," Hyde said, once the Camino parked in front of Jackie's building.

Absentmindedly, they both reached over, hugging each other in support. Hyde was grateful she agreed to come with him, and Jackie was glad he'd actually asked her to. Both knew it wouldn't be easy for any of them, but if they would have to face old ghosts, they would do it together.

Jackie gave her friend one last smile before hopping off the car and entering the building. As she stepped inside hers and Fez's apartment she caught herself already thinking about opening a bottle of wine and listening to Peter Frampton. Tomorrow would be the first of some weird days and she needed to be relaxed as much as possible.

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	3. Tease me

**A/N:** Thank you guys for the latest reviews! Hope you enjoy this chapter and I would love to hear your thoughts!

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

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CHAPTER 03

 **TEASE ME**

Jackie was already waiting by the front door of her building when the black El Camino arrived at 7am. The night dew moistened the green grass in front of her, making the weather feel slightly colder than usual. For a split second, the tiny chick oddly wished she was already in Vegas, enjoying the heat of the desert warming her skin.

A couple of hours later they had arrived at Milwaukee's airport, bought a pair of tickets to Vegas and were waiting inside the plane for its departure. Later, as Lake Michigan disappeared from view on the horizon, Jackie tilted her head to look at Steven, who had his shades on and eyes closed, probably tired for having to wake up so early.

"Steven?" She whispered, earning a mumble back from his lips. "Are you awake?"

He took his aviators off and hung them up on the collar of his shirt before turning towards Jackie, mirroring her position on the seat. Satisfied with his attention, she smiled and continued.

"Have you thought about what are you going to say to her?"

"Not entirely. In fact, I was thinking about letting her say everything she has to and then I'll figure it out."

"Fair enough." Jackie nodded slowly. "But you know you have to let your heart open up a little bit, don't you? She'll tell you her reasons and, even if you might not agree with her, you'll have to listen and try to understand."

"Yeah, I know."

He was aware that would be no easy job to keep his Zen around Edna. Among all the people who somehow disappointed him throughout his life, she was probably his least favorite one. She was his mother, for Christ's sake, the one person who was supposed to love him unconditionally. Nonetheless, she preferred to hit the road with some trucker than stick to her own son. That was something he would probably never be able to understand or forgive.

"Let's just take a nap before we get there, okay? You need to be rested," Jackie said, entwining her arms around his and resting her head on his shoulder. Hyde decided it was a good idea and rested his cheek on the top of her head, attempting to make this trip go fast by sleeping.

* * *

Las Vegas looked like a horror show through Jackie's eyes. Everything screamed fake in that city. The buildings, the monuments, the trees, the people. Nothing seemed to be real, and she made a mental note to not be fooled by this city.

The cab driver left the couple of friends at a nice hotel a few blocks away from The Strip. It wasn't superfancy, but it had got its charm.

"This is not the same hotel you've been your last time here, is it?" Jackie asked apprehensive as she looked around the front lobby.

Hyde chuckled, as they headed to the reception desk. "No, that one was pretty crappy. You wouldn't last a day in it," he said, earning a slap on his forearm.

"I'm pretty badass, you know, Steven. I confronted that bully you fought with the other day while you were puking your insides out," she informed him through narrowed eyes, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Oh yeah? Then we should go to that other hotel, if you want." The curly haired boy teased her. "It's cheaper anyway and there's a strip club right next to it."

Jackie's eyes grew wide with the information. She understood immediately what he was trying to imply with it and decided against pushing the conversation forward. No way she would stay in the same place where Steven and that skank spent a whole month screwing each other.

"Let's check in." She said seriously, walking over to the front desk, followed by a smirking Hyde. He liked to win.

The couple of friends decided to share a bedroom. The suite was big enough for the two of them and there was a double bed for each one. None of them was planning on hooking up with anyone, anyway, so there was no point on paying for an extra room when they were already so used to having each other's belongings spread all over the place – even if it's been more than a year since they actually did that.

Jackie was looking at the city outside from the balcony when Steven came out the room with two bottles of beer in his hands.

"Thanks," she said, taking one from his hands and clinking his on a toast.

Hyde took a gulp from his beer and leaned on the parapet, also looking at the horizon. "So, I was thinking we could go to the bar Edna works in tonight after dinner."

"Do you really want to have this kind of conversation in a public place?" Jackie asked concerned.

"I guess so. She didn't give me her address anyway. Besides, a public place may force me to keep cool."

Jackie stared sideways at him, searching for something behind his facial expression. Was the zenmaster afraid to lose his Zen? Sure, he'd already lost it the other day, but he was drunk. Seeing Steven lose his control sober was something she'd got only few memories of. Edna had really fucked her kid up.

"Fine. We'll do it as you say." She took hold of his hand, making him look down at her. "It's gonna be fine. Don't worry."

Hyde smiled at her, glad that she hadn't tried to force him to do it other way. If she was still his girlfriend, she would probably be trying to convince him to face this monster on the way she thought it was best. But now they were just friends, and it felt good to have her agreeing to deal with it on his terms.

"So what do you wanna do the rest of the day?" He asked eventually.

"Dunno. Nothing really attracts my attention in this city."

"I know what you mean. We could have lunch, then stay in and watch some cable."

Suddenly Jackie heard laughing and water splashing noises coming from several floors below, causing her eyes to draw attention to what was going on downstairs. Maybe it was the overheat this city was settled on, but she could swear the azure spot on the ground floor was calling her name.

"Lunch is fine, but why don't we go to the pool downstairs afterwards?" She suggested. "It's freaking hot. We could enjoy the heat Wisconsin is lacking the last few weeks."

"No deal. Pool means shorts, and I don't wear shorts." Hyde pointed a threatening finger to her before coming back inside the bedroom.

"Come on, Steven. I've seen you in shorts once when we've been to the beach in Kenosha," Jackie whined following him in and lying down sideways on the bed, propping her head with one hand. "You look pretty good in them."

"You mean hot." He looked back teasingly while taking some things out of his suitcase.

"Whatever." She laughed, throwing a pillow on his back.

* * *

"My turn! Eric and his hot cousin or Eric and the bathroom incident?" Jackie asked Steven once they were hanging out by the swimming pool that afternoon. After lunch, she'd finally convinced him to put some shorts on – actually, bribed him with a couple of drinks. She was lying on her stomach on the edge of the pool while he was inside of it.

"Nice one!" Hyde nodded impressed and brooded for a few moments. "I guess… Hot cousin. The face he'd got when Red and Kitty showed up was priceless, man. And then _we_ came out of the shower and he freaked out even more. I heard Penny's framed his red underwear so she could always remember the burn." He finished with a nice laugh, followed by a louder one from Jackie.

"God, I wish I was there. I never get tired of burning Eric," she said between chuckles, sipping from the margarita she got in hand.

"Yeah… Okay, I got one. Crashing Kelso's van or Bowieing him up?"

"Steven, none of those were actual burns. I didn't intend to crash his van, and he agreed with me he would look good if I put some make-up on him."

"Yeah, but you crashed his van going out with _another_ guy and the make-up didn't come out for two days." He smirked wickedly, staring at her behind his shades. "Let's face it, doll, you burn people good without even noticing. You're like a burnmaster."

"Ooh, I like that." She giggled at the new title. "And well, I guess I choose crashing his van. I know it's a horrible thing to say, but it actually felt good to destroy something important to him. He crashed my heart first anyway. And it was nice to have you on my side for one of the first times ever. You were pretty sweet helping me figure out how much Michael owned me." She smiled smugly, knowing she was poking his weakness – Steven hated to admit he'd been nice to her before they started dating.

"I wasn't trying to be sweet, Jackie," he denied immediately, just like she assumed he would. "I only thought he was being a jerk. He's my best friend, but he's always been a hypocrite when talking about relationships."

"Whatever, Steven. You liked me back then, but you just couldn't admit it." She turned around so she was now lying on her back, exposing her tanned tummy to the sunny sky.

"Whatever." His face went Zen before he dove to the bottom of the pool, rising up a good thirty seconds later with a blast, splashing water all over Jackie's body.

"Steven!" She yelled angrily and sat up, water dropping from her neat ponytail. "You're so dead, mister!"

Before she could decide which torturous way she would kill him, Hyde reached for her hands and pulled her into the swimming pool, making her scream even harder. As Jackie rose from the water gasping, she jumped to Steven, trying to force him down inside the water with her body weight to no avail. He was way stronger than her.

Eventually, he let her win, sinking down slowly. Once underwater, his eyes opened and met her bikini clad curves standing in front of him and he had to fight all the strength in his body not to pull her closer and hold her. She wasn't his chick anymore. However, that was no problem on keep teasing with each other.

"Okay, you win, you win," he said once his head emerged on the surface, making the brunette smirk smugly.

"Of course I won, Steven. I'm superstrong, you know," she said jokingly, as she took the elastic off her hair to undo the ruined ponytail. Once off, she dove one more time to settle the raven locks down.

As Jackie brushed up from the water, Hyde couldn't help but stare at his ex-girlfriend. She looked good with wet hair, something he'd seen very few times before. She was meticulous with her appearance, so her locks were always dried, coiffed and curled to perfection. Even when they've been to the beach, she never went for a swim, so it was quite endearing to see her face clean of makeup and her hair in a wild beautiful mess.

"What?" The brunette asked, once she noticed Hyde had been watching her.

"It's been a while since we've hung out only the two of us." Hyde smiled sincerely, looking directly into her eyes. "It's pretty cool."

Jackie smiled back. I was cool indeed. "Yeah, it is."

They swam back to the edge of the pool, leaning against it and taking hold of their drinks.

"You're still paying for ruining my hair, Steven. Just wait and see."

"I'll figure something out to make up for it." Hyde reached up to mess Jackie's preciosity even more, earning a gasp and a splash right onto his smirking face.

"I so hate you!"

 **#**


	4. Leave me

**A/N:** This is a shorter chapter, so I'll be posting the next one before Friday to make up for it. Thank you all for the reviews, including the guest reader! Enjoy this chapter and don't forget to share your thoughts! I love them all!

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

* * *

CHAPTER 04

 **LEAVE ME**

Later that night, Jackie and Hyde arrived at The Jojo, a not fancy at all bar on downtown where Edna was supposed to work. Looking around, Hyde spotted old greasy guys by the bar counter, some possibly rich businessmen hanging out with their mistresses, and a creepy old lady playing pool with a foreign young guy. Yes, that was definitely the kind of place Edna would look for a job.

They took a booth by the window, sitting one across the other, and waved for the waiter, a young man who was strangely too nice for a place like that.

"Excuse me, sir," Jackie spoke politely. "Does Gro… I mean, Edna Hyde work in here?"

"Oh yes. She's our cooker." The young man, whose name tag said Ryan, informed with a kind smile. Jackie's eyes darted to Hyde, who nodded in acknowledgement. "Are you guys friends with her?"

"Uh, yes," Jackie responded, turning back to the waiter. "We were wondering if we could have a word with her anytime soon."

"Sure. I guess she's kinda busy right now, but as soon as things get calmer down there," he pointed towards the kitchen, "I'll make sure she comes out here to talk to you guys."

"Thank you."

"Till then, would you guys want something to drink?"

The brunette gazed at Hyde, who was staring solemnly through the window, probably too apprehensive about the time that was about to come when he would finally meet his mom.

"A beer and a margarita, please," she ordered before Ryan left towards the bar counter.

Several minutes passed, neither Jackie nor Hyde speaking a word. She knew he wasn't as cool as he was earlier when they were just hanging out and talking about trivial stuff. Maybe she should say something, but understood he needed the quiet right now. So she just reached forward and held his hands, which were holding way too firmly onto the bottle of beer. Startled by her soft touch, Hyde looked up at her, feeling some sort of relief as he saw her kind smile, silently telling him it would be fine. He responded her gesture, holding her hand back as they waited for Edna to show up sometime.

By the time they finished the second round of drinks, the kitchen door opened and a woman in her late thirties came out. Jackie looked at her immediately as she spoke something to Ryan then began to walk towards their table. She held a frown to see Jackie, probably because she didn't recognize the girl's face. However, her eyes grew wide as she stopped by the couple's booth and saw who was there with the unknown brunette.

"Steven, what are you doing here?" She asked, more angry than surprised.

Hyde's eyes turned up to look at the woman who he hasn't seen for about four years, and was surprised with what he found. She looked the same – red head, tired eyes, cheap lipstick on her thin lips – only her skin that displayed the effect of the years. He thought she would be way worse than that after years of boozing and whoring around, but he was just wrong.

"You send me a letter, ma," Hyde responded almost sarcastically. He hadn't appreciated her previous tone.

"Well, I don't remember asking for you to come here."

They began a not so funny staring game, one that made Jackie feel really uncomfortable.

"Mrs. Hyde, Steven here just wanted to talk to you. You see, it's been four ye…" Jackie intervened, but was shortly cut off by the older woman turning around to her.

"And who the hell are you?" Edna said angrily, offending the tiny chick with her tone.

"I'm a friend. You probably don't remember me, but I also studied at Point Place High, where you used to work before leaving your son behind," Jackie snorted, trying to poke some motherly spot the red head might've had left.

"I don't remember any of those kids faces, dear, especially if you were one of those spoiled bitchy cheerleaders," Edna sneered, completely ignoring the last part of Jackie's statement. Hearing her words, Jackie understood from where Steven took all that cheerleader hatred.

"Jackie, let's get out of here. This was a mistake," Hyde said, already standing up. He wouldn't be able to keep it cool if she'd keep up with this sort of behavior towards Jackie. He was the one who she should be directing her rage, not her.

"No, Steven," the brunette's stern voice made him stop. "I didn't come all the way down from Wisconsin to give up. You two have to talk and I'm not leaving till you do." She stood up, pulled both mother and son by the arms, coaxing them to seat down, and grabbed her margarita. "I'll be by the bar."

With that she left, leaving Hyde staring firmly at his supposed mom. None of them knew how to actually start this conversation in a civil way, so they stayed like that for a few minutes, till Hyde spoke.

"Why did you left?"

Edna hesitated for a moment. "I couldn't handle that city anymore, Steven. I saw an opportunity to leave and took it."

"Yeah, pretty story for someone who's single. But you know, ma, regular people usually settle down once they have kids. And even if they decide to leave, they don't leave'em behind."

"Look who's talking!" She scoffed, crossing her arms and leaning back on the seat. "You've always been against regular people and regular moral, Steven. So do I. You were already a big boy; I knew you could handle yourself."

"I was sixteen! I didn't have any money to pay for rent or food," Hyde grunted, slapping one hand on the table top. "God, you really don't care, do you? You don't give a damn."

"Steven, why are you complaining anyway? Now you've got a rich father who's probably giving you everything he's got to compensate for his absent years. I bet your life is way better now than if I had taken you with me."

"Is that what you think? That I'm a gold digger?" He released a tired breath, not really believing her innuendo. "I don't care about money, _Edna_. I just wanted to know that someone cared about me back then. That at least _my mother_ cared. But I guess I was just wrong. You never loved me. I'm not even sure why didn't you abort me before I was born."

Edna's head snapped up at his words. Did he think she was that bad of a mother?

"I would never be able to take off someone's life, Steven." She said quietly, apparently touched by his feelings.

"Yeah, because leaving one behind is way different," he snorted sarcastically.

The older lady rolled her eyes and leaned forward, resting her arms on the table. "Okay, Steven. I see this conversation is not going anywhere. So why don't you just give me the money and we end this up."

Hyde scowled deeply. What was her damn problem? "You really think I would give you my money after all this crap you just pulled out?"

"Honey, you still don't get it, do you?" She smirked. "I don't want _your_ money. I want William's. He didn't want anything to do with me when I told him I was pregnant. In fact, none of us was very interested in troubling our current relationships back then because of that."

Hyde felt a punch in his chest because that 'that' was him. He realized he'd never actually been more than this to Edna, nothing more than a 'that'.

"He was married and had already a baby girl. I had Bud," she continued. "We both had almost nothing so we just decided to keep on with our lives. He said he would help me eventually if he found more resources, but guess what? He built this huge music empire and never contacted me back."

"And now you want him to pay for not showing up," Hyde said matter-of-factly. He could understand WB had been a jerk before, but now he was trying to make up for his mistakes, at least with him. He was a caring and loving father, attempting to do anything to make his son happy, even though Steven didn't need too much to feel good. He just wanted to feel important to someone, and the old guy was doing a good job about that.

Edna sensed her son didn't understand her point of view. It was obvious he would stay on his father's side, so she decided to poke deeper.

"He abandoned you too, Steven."

"Uh huh. And years later you did the same thing. You're a hypocrite, you know that?"

Rage was rising up on the redhead's head. This kid was impossible, just like his stepfather. "What do you want from me, Steven?" She barked and slapped the table, causing Jackie to look at them from her seat by the bar. She held her breath for a few seconds, pondering if she should intervene or stay put.

"I don't want anything from you, Edna," the rebel son said, sounding calmer than he actually felt. "I just wanted to know how you've been doing since I haven't heard from you since 1976, even though you seem not to care how _I_ have been doing." He stood and reached inside his jacket pocket, taking out a small envelope and slamming it on the table. "I guess this would be enough to cover your exes. Goodbye."

With that, he walked towards Jackie, grabbing her wrist and pulling her harshly out of the stinky bar, attempting to never come back.

 **#**


	5. Comfort me

**A/N:** As promised, chapter 05 is here! It's very short too, but I hope it's okay for you all. Don't forget to tell me what you think. Enjoy it!

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

* * *

CHAPTER 05

 **COMFORT ME**

Once outside The Jojo, Jackie tried to free herself from Hyde's hand, which was hurting her for holding so tight.

"Steven, you're hurting me," she whined, making him stop and release her arm.

As her left hand rubbed her sore right wrist, Hyde looked at his friend obviously troubled. She sensed he wasn't thinking straight. His naked eyes had turned grey and his face a redish hue. Before she could make any attempt to say something, he clutched his hands to his curls, bending over while growling something not really understandable. He needed to release some of his pain, so she let him curse for a few moments at the street. However, Jackie decided to interfere when she saw her ex-lover eventually make a bee line down the street, approaching a light post which he punched with all his might.

"Steven, no!" That was way too much. She ran to him, grabbing his arms angrily so he would turn to her. How could he be so stupid? "Would you stop acting like a child?"

"Just leave me alone, Jackie," he yelled, shaking his arms off her grasp and walking fast down the street, but she wasn't willing to let him go.

"No, I'm not letting you wander alone when you're obviously out of your mind," the tiny chick informed, trying hard to keep up with his pace due to her short legs and high heels.

Probably because of the rage, he didn't seem to care that she was being left behind, and carried on with his wide footfalls. Therefore, Jackie stopped on her tracks, knowing she wouldn't be able to reach him, and yelled as an attempt to make him realize what he was doing.

"Go ahead, Steven! Leave me alone here in this strange neighborhood in this strange city. Leave just like your mother did."

Jackie regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth. It was a mean thing to say to him in such a hard time and the result was what she expected to be. She saw Steven stop for a few seconds, before turning around and meeting her desperate eyes several feet away. Out of a sudden, he ran back to her, not with angry eyes anymore – like she assumed he would have – but with regretful ones. He hugged the brunette tight by the waist as soon as he reached her, burying his face inside her hair.

This was a very unusual behavior for Hyde. Normally, he would've gotten even more pissed off and would've run away out of rage. However, he remembered Jackie's words a couple of nights before. _We don't have to be like them._ And he sure didn't. This chick had shown him before that he could be much more than he imagined. He could be and do better. That's why he was now inside her arms, trying to make things right.

"I'm so sorry," the brunette said softly, feeling such a fool. "Let's just go home, baby."

* * *

The couple of friends remained in silence during the entire way back to the hotel. Once inside their bedroom, the only exchanged words were kind goodnights and that's it. Jackie still felt that Steven didn't want to talk about the earlier events, so she gave him some space. Besides, he didn't want her to feel bad about him or about the things she said before. He knew she was just trying to help.

A half hour later, they both were already in their respective beds, eager for this day to end.

However, it was past 2am already and Hyde couldn't sleep. The earlier conversation with his mom kept coming back to the front of his mind, expelling the sleep out of him. After several minutes of tossing and turning, he gave up and stood up, walking over to the balcony. A joint would be very helpful right now to make him relax. However, he didn't have any because of the airport procedures. It would be too easy to get caught.

He sat down on the balcony couch and stared at the Vegas skyline. All the lights were still sparkling, showing that out there lots of people were having fun. Deep down, he knew it was all bullshit, only a fantasy, a false sense of happiness. That's what this city meant to him.

He remained seated there for a good amount of time, brooding about his current life, Edna, WB. How come had he gotten where he was now?

Jackie. He knew that was the answer.

The chick had pushed him to go after his biological father many years ago, and although she was interested in his financial status at first, it was clear that she wanted her boyfriend to have a good relationship with the old man. Jackie understood, as much as he did, how much parental care was meaningful. She saw in WB the last opportunity for Steven to have good parents, something she never had the chance to have. Of course they would always have the Formans, but still, kinship was something irreplaceable.

Hyde looked back into the bedroom and spotted the one he was thinking about. She seemed to sleep peacefully, though he couldn't see her face, only her dark locks spread over her back. He wanted that peace. He wanted to feel safe somehow.

Standing up, he walked over to Jackie's bed, which was the one closer to the balcony, and slipped under the covers with her. He laid on his back on the far end of the bed, resting his head over his clasped hands.

Though he was careful about his motions, the little agitation on the bed made the sleeping beauty wake up. She lazily turned over, spotting her ex-boyfriend lying next to her.

"Steven?" She asked groggily.

"Uh, yeah. I didn't mean to wake you up," he whispered. Busted.

"Why aren't you in your bed?"

"Couldn't sleep," he answered, like it was a good explanation.

Jackie turned around to face him, still with her eyes closed.

"Wanna talk?" She asked quietly.

"Uh, no. You were already sleeping. Don't wanna bother you," Steven said, tilting his body so he was mirroring her.

"It's okay. I'll listen if you want me to," Jackie said unconvincingly. She was clearly more sleeping than awaken.

Hyde smiled at her attempt to help. Even in her sleep she seemed to be concerned about him, and it was endearing. He'd hurt her so much in the past, but still she was kind to him.

"No, I want you to sleep."

The back of his fingers brushed her cheek, making her smile sleepily. Before he could take them back, Jackie took hold of his hand, bringing it under her chin. He didn't feel like bothering her more than he already did till now, so he let her stay like that, as if his hand was Mr. Fluffycakes or any other of the stuffed animals she used to have as a teenager.

After a few minutes of pure silence, Hyde was taken aback for her quiet voice calling out in the darkness. He could swear she was already sleeping again, but it seemed he was wrong.

"I'm sorry about the things I said earlier."

"Don't be. I'm sorry too for being an ass."

He felt the muscles of her face move, suggesting a smile had crept on her lips.

"Tomorrow is a new day, Steven. Just try to sleep, okay? You deserve it."

That was the peace he was looking for. No accusations, no regrets. Only two people recognizing their faults and actually apologizing for it. That was something totally new for them both, because when they were together, they used to fight like dogs, always blaming each other for their own mistakes.

Had they ever apologized for the last events which put an end to their relationship? Had they ever actually forgiven one another?

Hyde reasoned and decided that no. And he was going to make it different from now on. Even if they wouldn't be getting back together, it was just the right thing to do. She deserved it.

"Goodnight, doll."

 **#**


	6. Carry me

**A/N:** Thank you all for the reviews, guys! It's always very nice to learn your impressions about the story. I can honestly say that they helped me to improve upcoming scenes throughout these past few weeks, so don't forget to tell me what you liked or disliked. I can handle criticism! :) Also, I turn 25 this Sunday (yay!) and I would be more than happy to hear from you guys - consider it as a birthday gift lol. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Let's read!

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

* * *

CHAPTER 06

 **CARRY ME**

Moods were renovated the next morning. The old lovers woke up in the same bed for the second time that week, but it didn't seem awkward. Though in a past time it was almost impossible for them to keep their hands off each other while sleeping together, now it was like they were just good friends who didn't bother to civilly share a bed.

During breakfast, Hyde told Jackie about his conversation with Edna. The brunette was shell-shocked with such atrocities the cooker said to her son. Apparently, she didn't seem sorry about abandoning him, and for some moments, she could feel his pain tugging inside her own chest. The memory of her mom telling her she wasn't coming back when her father was arrested hit her hard, so she reached for Hyde's hand, not so sure if she was offering or asking for comfort.

"At least you told her what you think about the whole situation. If she actually sees herself like your mother, I'm sure it got to her," Jackie tried to comfort him somehow, though she couldn't really believe her own words. But, God, she wished she was right.

"Eh, whatever. So, what do you wanna do today?" He asked, trying to change the annoying subject. "We only leave tomorrow, so…"

"I say we should do something fun. Take off all this negativity, y'know? Wanna gamble?" She smiled awkwardly. "It's not actually Vegas if you don't gamble, right?"

"It's not as much fun as it sounds, trust me."

"So what else do you suggest?"

"I saw some flyers by the reception desk about other attractions in town."

"Sounds good to me," Jackie smiled, kind of relieved he didn't want to gamble either. She wasn't in the mood anyway.

Later, the ex-cheerleader was getting ready for her fun day with Steven. While he took a shower, she was in front of the bedroom mirror applying some make up and curling up her hair. She hummed some song she recoiled from the other night on the club with her friends, when the bedroom telephone rang. She went for it, sitting on the edge of her bed as she picked up the receiver.

"Yes?"

"Ms. Burkhart, there's a call for Mr. Hyde," she heard the reception guy say on the other side of the line.

The brunette frowned. Nobody actually knew that they were in Vegas, not even her boss. Who could possibly want to talk to Steven? And how did that person found out they were in this hotel?

"Uh, he's in the shower right now, but you can pass it," she responded kinda unsure, before hearing an affirmative answer then the waiting tone.

"Hello?" A new voice said, startling Jackie for a split second. She was almost sure she had heard that voice before.

"Uh, hi. Who is it?" She asked just to make sure.

"It's Edna. Edna Hyde. Is this Steven's friend? The girl from yesterday?"

"Yes. It's me, Mrs. Hyde. Jackie Burkhart." She answered kind of harshly. "What do you want?" She didn't mean to be rude, but after the scenario Steven told her that morning, she was smelling rats with this woman.

"Can I speak to Steven? It's kind of a mother and son topic."

"For real? No, you can't. See, he's kinda busy right now and I'm not so sure he's in the mood to talk to you after last night."

"But that's exactly what I wanna talk about." Jackie heard her blew a sigh. "I want to apologize."

The brunette's frown deepened. She wasn't sure she could believe Edna. The woman she met yesterday didn't seem the kind who usually feels sorry about shit she did in the past, even more after all the things she said to Steven.

Taking a deep breath, Jackie decided to come up with some explanation, trying to keep cool and make her Zen lessons worth.

"Mrs. Hyde, I really don't think Steven wants to talk to you right now. His attempts yesterday seemed to be in vain, so I'd suggest you to not bother him anymore. He gave you the money you asked and I really hope it helps you out, but, please, don't do this to him. You've already hurt him too much so far."

"I know that, and I'm truly sorry. Steven seems to have turned out to be a decent man, and I'm proud of him. I guess I was just too mad at him for showing up out of a sudden. I didn't want him to come after me and see that I'm still in a bad as much as when I left him."

Jackie felt the sincerity in her voice, and it was kind of understandable. Edna left in pursue of something more in her life. The fact that she didn't achieved what she probably wanted, made her feel ashamed to see her own son, the one she abandoned many years ago, being in a better situation than her. It was some sort of reality punch, or a regret punch.

"Could you, please, try and talk to him?" The elder woman continued. "I would like to invite you both for a dinner at my place tonight. I wanna make it right to my son."

Jackie pondered for a few moments. "Hm, okay. I'll talk to him, Mrs. Hyde. But you listen to me. If you screw up with him once more I swear you'll pay for it. He doesn't deserve more pain."

Edna gave her her number and address, and Jackie wrote it down on a paper. As soon as she hung up the phone, Steven came out the bathroom clad only in a hotel towel, and started to pick things up from his suitcase.

"Who were you talking to?" He asked casually.

"Uh, someone. It was actually for you," Jackie answered, looking at his bare back.

"Me?" He was still focused on the suitcase.

"Yeah, uh… It was your mother."

The information made him turn around to face the brunette seated on the bed. His broad chest and bare abdomen startled her a little bit, which was weird. She'd seen him shirtless more than a couple of times during the last few days, but perhaps she hadn't actually _seen_ it. Steven was just a friend now. She shouldn't be having second thoughts about him.

"Jackie," he called out, snapping her from the reverie.

"What?"

"What did she want?"

"She wanted to apologize. Would you please put some clothes on already?"

He didn't seem to mind the question, obviously taken aback by what she said first. "Apologize for what? She's not sorry," he snorted, pacing around the bedroom.

"I don't know, Steven. She sounded sincere on the telephone."

Hyde scoffed. "Yeah, you really don't know Edna, Jackie."

"Maybe I don't, but I do know that we came here so you could catch up with her. Last night didn't turn out as we expected, but today there's a new chance." She took a deep breath, looking down at her clasped hands on her lap. "Look, I told her you probably wouldn't want to talk to her anymore, but she really asked for me to talk to you. I guess your words got to her, Steven. Maybe she is telling the truth and wants to make it up for you. Besides I kinda told her I'd kick her ass if she hurts you again." She finished with a small smile, which broke the ice inside the room, making Hyde chuckle a bit in amusement.

"Sorry, but I'm not complying with you this time." His stern expression was back on, but softer than before. "I don't wanna talk to her anymore and I hope you can respect that."

Her voice was quiet when she answered an 'okay' before her eyes absentmindedly darted back to his bare chest. God, she looked like a teenager that couldn't keep her eyes out of her crush. So she shook her head and stood up quickly, walking back to the front of the mirror to finish getting ready.

"Seriously, Steven. Put some clothes on."

He couldn't help but chuckle again. "Yes, doll."

* * *

The former lovers decided to explore the city that afternoon. They had lunch at a nice restaurant and then walked around through shops, casinos and water fountains, but made sure to keep a good distance from strip clubs. Jackie's impression about Vegas hadn't changed. It still looked like a big fantasy island, but she was actually having fun with Steven. They managed to avoid any distressed topics – such as break ups, Edna or Sam - for some hours, which made the tour lighter and cooler.

"Steven, I can't walk anymore! My feet are killing me," Jackie whined eventually. Her high heel sandals hurt too much.

"Jackie, I really don't know why you use these shoes. They are too uncomfortable, man. Why don't you have some sneakers or something similar?"

"Are you kidding me, right?" She looked up at him with a scowl as they walked down The Strip. "I wouldn't wear sneakers unless for cheer practice."

"And you look pretty good in them." He smirked.

"Of course I do. But it's not appropriate for going out."

"And these foot killers are?" He pointed to her shoes, earning a murderous look back from the tiny brunette. "Let's just buy you more comfortable shoes, man. I bet your mood will get better if you take off those sandals."

"I just feel like I can't walk any step further," she complained, seating on a bench.

Hyde stood by the bench, annoyed by her stubbornness. He looked down at her painful expression and oddly felt mercy. Suddenly, he crouched down in front of her, startling the tiny brunette.

"Hop on."

"What?" Jackie laughed, amused by his gesture.

"Let's go. We'll find you brand new comfortable shoes." He patted his back, motioning for her to ride him piggy style.

She shook her head, still laughing, but did what he told her. "Alright, sir. Yay, this is so much fun!" Her mood had already lifted up. She encircled his neck with her arms, watching out to not hurt him. "You can say whatever you want, Steven, but you sure are a gentleman."

"Whatever."

And they walked down the street in search for a shoe shop, both with the biggest grins on their faces.

* * *

By the middle of the afternoon they had reached Hoover Dam by cab. The magnitude of the piece of engineering was overwhelming, leaving the couple of friends speechless for several minutes as they walked over the barrage.

"This is incredible!" Jackie exclaimed, looking over the parapet. The fancy girl sneakers Hyde bought her matched pretty well with her capri jeans and had allowed her to run over the boardwalk, jumping around like a little girl. It was an endearing scene to watch, since he'd never seen her so carefree his entire life.

"Yeah. It's quite amazing, but I read back there that almost a hundred men died during its construction."

"Wow, you really know how to break the mood," she teased, smirking at him.

They stood there, leaning on the concrete parapet and looking at the canyon for quite a long time, until Jackie broke the silence.

"I guess it's just like in real life."

"What?" Hyde tilted his head to her.

"This dam. All those men died building this up. I'm sure it was a sad and hard time, but in the end this magnificent thing was up. I guess we also need to go through difficult times and get hurt several times if we wish to build something solid and amazing in the end," she concluded staring into Steven's piercing blue eyes.

He wasn't so sure if she was talking about his relationship with his mom or about their own relationship. God, they hurt each other so much in the past. Cheating, mistrust, wrong assumptions, fake marriages. So much pain, but it seemed that they were doing fine as friends by now.

So why a tiny discomfort inside his chest kept telling him there was more? Perhaps all these misfortunes between them had a purpose. Maybe each one of them meant a step up towards a greater thing. A solid and amazing thing, as Jackie pointed out.

Absentmindedly, Hyde slid one arm around Jackie's slim waist, holding her close to him. The brunette was taken aback by his gesture, but didn't stop him. He leaned in and whispered to her ear "I'm sorry for leaving you."

"You already apologized for that yesterday," she spoke quietly, almost frozen by the feeling of his warm breath on her earlobe. "We're cool."

Hyde sighed and rested his forehead on the top of her head, closing his eyes as he spoke. "No. I'm _really_ sorry for leaving you."

Realization took over and she understood what he really meant by those words. Chicago. If he had stayed, if he had stuck to her that night, a lot of bad things could've been avoided. The slight memory of that night when she cried herself to sleep for him caused a sting in the back of her eyes, but she fought it back. It's been long ago, and now he was actually asking for forgiveness – something she thought he never would – and he was being sincere. It was written all over his God damn pretty face.

Jackie smiled coyly at him and nodded silently. Better not spoil the moment with words. She just let him get comfortable by her side and turned her gaze once again to the canyon in front of her, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Let's go see Edna," he spoke eventually, causing her big round eyes look up at him. "But don't get me wrong, I still think this is a bad idea."

Jackie smiled, glad that he'd made the right decision, and they hugged. "I'll be by your side," she said quietly and the curly haired man smiled.

"I know you will."

A half hour later, the sun was giving signals to set, painting the sky with orange and pink shades. The wind was also blowing stronger, coaxing the tourists on the dam to walk back to their cars. Jackie and Hyde were on the far end of the barrage, on the Arizona side, so they decided to start the way back already.

"Steven, can I ask you something?" Jackie said, sticking her hands inside the pockets of her jacket.

"Sure."

"Uh, have you… No, never mind. It's stupid."

"What?" He looked down at her smirking.

"Nothing," she squealed. "It's kinda embarrassing."

"Then I wanna know what it is."

She chuckled. "Fine. Uh, have you ever had a sex dream about me?"

Her question amused him, so he laughed. "Of course I had. You gave me lots of real material to dream of, doll."

"But I mean…" She rolled her eyes, still smiling of embarrassment. "After we broke up the last time."

"Oh." He faced forward again, averting her eyes. "Why do you wanna know?"

"Because the other night when I was taking you home after the bar fight you said some weird stuff to me, and I guessed it was a sex dream about me."

"What kind of stuff?" He still couldn't look at her. He was almost sure about what she was trying to get to.

She laughed once more. "You said I came to your apartment in a sexy nightgown."

Busted.

"I don't remember that," the zenmaster tried to mask his embarrassment, but Jackie knew better.

"Oh my God! It's true, isn't it?" She pointed an accusing finger at her ex-boyfriend, grinning wide. Her head tilted backwards in a full heart laugh.

"Whatever, Jackie. It's not a big deal anyway. I'm sure Fez and Kelso already dreamt about you too."

"It doesn't count. They're both pervs. I bet they had sex dreams even about that old lady cashier on Piggly Wiggly."

He finally looked at her again, her smiling face causing the same effect on him. Yeah, he had a sex dream about her. Lots of times in fact. But he wouldn't let her win this one.

"What about your sex dream about me?" He tried, though he didn't know what he was talking about. He was a player. A good one in fact.

The brunette tilted her head quickly to her former lover, her eyes bigger than golf balls. "What are you talking about?"

"Yeah, I know your little secrets too, doll. Donna told me," he said matter-of-factly, zen back in full mode.

Jackie examined him for a few moments, trying to decide if he really knew something or it was all acting. Nothing.

"What did Donna told you then?" She narrowed her eyes to him.

"You were the princess in a castle and I was your knight in shining armor, saving you of an evil dragon and making sweet love to you afterwards." Hyde came up with a believable version of what would possibly be a sex dream for Jackie.

The brunette smiled victoriously. "Well, this sounds very much like me, but I say you are making this up." Her dreams about Steven were way more tangible. They usually took place in a dark basement bedroom, no evil beasts or medieval clothes. Actually, there were never clothes. But of course she would never admit it.

"You're such a pain in the ass, y'know?"

"Who's embarrassed now?" She grinned as they walked towards the cabs parked on the Nevada side of the canyon.

 **#**

 **A/N2:** The idea about Jackie's sneakers came actually from Mila Kunis herself. She's usually spotted wearing these comfy and cute outfits around LA, and although I'm almost positive that it wasn't a common combination on the early 80's, I thought it would fit the story. Let's face it, nothing better than nice tennis shoes to put an end to girl's high heels foot ache!


	7. Forgive me

**A/N:** Thank you guys for the so sweet birthday wishes! You're the best! This chapter was a bit harder to write so everyone remained in character, so I would reeeeally appreciate if you guys tell me what you think. Hope it pleases you as well!

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

* * *

CHAPTER 07

 **FORGIVE ME**

Edna's house was at a distant district in Vegas. It was very similar to where Hyde used to live as a kid at Point Place, both house and neighborhood. All the glamour and fervency had been left a couple of miles behind, so the streets were darker and quieter.

Hyde stepped into the front porch and rang the doorbell, with Jackie in tow. The smell of Edna's cooking food invaded his nostrils, pulling mixed feelings to the front of his mind – he wasn't sure if it was anger, nostalgia, hurt or comfort. As they heard footsteps coming closer inside the house, the brunette held onto her ex-boyfriend's hand, making some of the apprehension leave his body.

Soon after, the front door opened, revealing Edna in casual clothes. She gave them what it seemed like a relieved smile and stepped back, giving space for them to come in.

"Thanks for coming," she said and Jackie smiled politely. "Would you like something to drink? Beer? Water?"

Jackie looked up at Steven, who was still dead serious and decided to make the decision for him.

"Beer is fine for both of us."

Edna told them to keep themselves comfortable before walking into the kitchen. Jackie sat on the ratty couch and looked around. She'd been to Steven's old house once before, and this looked pretty much like it, though it was way more organized, probably because Edna was expecting visitors.

Hyde paced around the room, stopping eventually by a wall where some picture frames were hanged. None held actual people photos, only postcards from different places from the West and Middle West. Des Moines, Minneapolis, Denver, Vegas, Point Place.

He felt a hand poke his shoulder and turned around, accepting the bottle of beer Edna was handing him.

"Are these all the places you've been?" He asked and she nodded. He looked back to the wall. "You travelled a lot."

"A little bit. Who knows where I'm going from here. Maybe I'll reach the west coast someday, don't know."

He walked to the couch, sitting beside Jackie. Edna did the same, but took a seat at an orange armchair. They remained quiet for a while, only B.B. King's guitar playing softly on the background.

"Why did you invite us over?" Hyde broke the silence eventually.

Edna eyed Jackie sideways, and the brunette understood it was a good time to leave them alone again. The brunette stared firmly at the red head, silently reminding her about her earlier warning.

"Uh, where's the bathroom, Mrs. Hyde?"

"First door on the left." The elder woman pointed towards the corridor and Jackie followed her instructions.

When she looked back to Steven, he was still holding his cold gaze on her. She sighed and wet her lips before speaking.

"Steven, I want to apologize about my behavior yesterday. In fact, about everything before. I want you to understand that despite the fact that you came unexpectedly into my life, I did want you. My problem was that I was too young when you were born. I thought I would have this whole future ahead, but it just came downhill. At some point down the road, I made this stupid decision to move on, to go after the things I supposed I had lost because of you, but it was a mistake."

"Why didn't you come back when you realized that?" Hyde said calmly, looking at the bottle in his hands.

"I guessed it would be much worse than keep going. I thought you'll be way too mad at me and I would be just wasting my time." She reached over, gently touching her son's knee. "Look, Steven, young people make bad choices lots of times. I bet you regret one or two things in your life too."

He did. In fact it was only one big thing, and it had everything to do with the brunette in Edna's bathroom.

"And I'm not trying to absent myself from guilt. I know that what I did was wrong, and I hope you would forgive me someday."

"You know, I just don't get it why you were all hostile with me last night." He placed the bottle of beer on the coffee table and stood up, pacing around the room again. "It seems only too much a short time for someone to assume their mistakes, to feel guilty and regretful about something so huge."

"I was jealous, Steven. I left you with nothing so I could have something. But now you are wealthy and probably live in a nice place, while I'm still the same failure. It's selfish, I know, but that's how I felt." She leaned back on the armchair, looking at the ceiling. It was hard to admit this to him, but it had to be done.

Hearing those words, he spun around facing her, his eyes turning grey in anger. "I'm not wealthy, ma. I just do my job and get something out of it in the end of the month. I don't live the dream life you imagine. I don't need all these things. All I wanted was for you to care and be proud, just like a regular mom."

She looked down, and nodded. Then she stood up, walking over to an old desk, opening its drawer. She took an envelope out of it – the same one Steven gave her the night before – and reached forward towards him.

"I'm sorry for asking you for money." They looked into each other's eyes. "And I want you to know that I _am_ proud of you. You never had an easy life, I get that, and I'm proud that you'd turned out to be a decent young man." She finished with a sad smile.

Hyde had never listened to her mother talk like this. She'd never celebrated any of his conquests before. She never seemed to care in fact. This Edna in front of him was a brand new person for him. He could almost understand that she also had a hard life. That she also made mistakes. He felt like forgiving her, but it wasn't the right time yet. Maybe some other day. However, he already felt better.

"Keep it." He pushed the envelope back. "It's yours. I want you to have a decent life too, ma."

Unexpectedly, the elder woman pulled him into a hug, which he responded awkwardly at first, then willingly. At that point, Jackie came into the room, but stood several feet away from Steven and Edna, smiling satisfied at the scene in front of her. The truth is that she'd been quiet at the bathroom, trying to listen to the mother and son talking before feeling it was appropriate to come back.

Right after, the doorbell rang.

"Oh, it must be my other guest for dinner," Edna said, releasing her son and walking to the front door.

As soon as the wooden frame opened and revealed the mysterious guest, both Hyde and Jackie's chins dropped.

"Hyde!" The blonde ran to her ex-fake husband, hugging him tight.

"What the hell?" Hyde exclaimed, pushing Sam back by her waist.

"Didn't you miss me, babe?" She smiled at him, completely unaware of Hyde's scowl at the situation. Her fingers scratched his sideburns, but Hyde was fast on removing them.

"What is she doing here?" Hyde directed to Edna, ignoring the blonde's question.

"I… I thought you'd be happy to see Sam again," the red head said. She genuinely thought it was a good idea at first. Sam had told her she and Hyde used to get along pretty well, but she was forced to come back to Vegas for some reason she didn't explain, but made sure to show that he was upset for her departure.

"Why would you assume that? You knew I had a girl with me," he said angrily, motioning to Jackie behind him.

"But she told me she was just a friend," Edna tried to redeem herself, not really understanding what the big deal with the whole situation was. Apparently, there was something else she wasn't aware of.

Sam finally looked over Hyde's shoulder, finding Jackie's wide eyes staring back at her. "Well, you guys aren't back together, are you?" She asked provocatively, narrowing her eyes to the shorter chick.

Hyde looked back hesitant at Jackie, who was still frozen in place as a statue.

"Well, no, but…"

"Then…" The blonde's lips crashed on his own, not giving him time to dodge. His face was firmly held into her cupping hands.

Jackie felt tears rising up, ready to spill out through her eyes. Yes, they had agreed to leave the 'Sam subject' aside. They had acted like it wasn't a big deal. They had even teased about it a couple of times since they got to this God damn city. But when the teasing became more than that… God, it was a whole new level of reality that she wasn't prepared for. It was like coming back in time when the bimbo used to live in the basement with the love of _her_ life. When _she_ sat on his lap and kissed him just to get to her. When _he_ kissed her back, assuring his past lover that she was nothing more than that: the past.

"Oh my God." She ran pass the front door, not even saying goodbye to the hostess.

Just then, Hyde managed to push Sam back, grabbing her by the arms and stepping aside. The remaining women in the room stared at him, one puzzled, the other with a wicked smile crept on her lips.

"You," he pointed to Edna, "this was the worst idea ever! And you," he pointed to Sam, "what's the matter with you? You're married and we are over."

"I'm not married anymore, Hyde. Larry and I are officially divorced."

"Whatever!" He yelled. "That doesn't mean you can kiss me whenever you want. I don't want to be with you, Sam. Just face it. You ruined my life once and I'm not gonna let you do it again. I'm outta here."

With that, he left the house and began to look around for any signs of Jackie. He spotted a dark frame moving two blocks away and assumed it was her. Running as fast as he could, he called out her name, but it didn't seem to have any effect on her.

Jackie was also running. This was all a big mistake, she thought as tears rolled wildly down her face. She'd told herself she wouldn't drop any more tears for Steven or that skank. There was nothing left to mourn about since they had finally come to an okay friendship. However, she would never guess she would experience the sight of her lips on his again, so her body and mind reacted the way they were already used to in this sort of situation.

A few moments after, Hyde reached her, standing in front of her so she would stop.

"Would you wait for me?" He gently grabbed Jackie's shoulders, steading her.

"You were right. This was a mistake. We should've never come here." And started walking again, but Steven was faster and brought her closer, holding her by the waist.

"Jackie, that was nothing. Sam is a sociopath, we all know that. She lied to me about already being married. She'd probably lied to Edna too so she would think it was a good idea to invite her over. I didn't mean to kiss her. I didn't _want_ to kiss her."

His hands slid up to cup her tear stained face, coaxing her to look up at him. They held the stare for a few seconds, both lost in a trance, before Hyde leaned in. Their lips were almost touching when Jackie raised her hand, placing it over her ex-boyfriend's mouth.

"You're not kissing me with these stripper kissing lips," she said solemnly, but he knew that deep inside she was a little bit cooler after his reassurances. After all, that was all she ever wanted from him – being sure about his intentions.

"I didn't even kiss her back, Jackie," his muffled voice said behind her hand.

"But your lips touched."

He smirked and pushed back. "Would it make a difference if I wash my mouth first?" The innuendo made them both chuckle.

"I don't know." She looked down, smiling coyly.

Hyde smiled at her, took her hand and entwined their fingers as they walked away from Edna's neighborhood. He could try and change that 'I don't know' into a 'yes' later.

 **#**


	8. Cure me

**A/N:** First of all, thank you so much for the very enthusiastic reviews! It's so good to know that you're enjoying the story. Second, I wanna super apologize for not updating it in time. I wasn't entirely satisfied with this chapter, but I hadn't got much time to revise it last week to come up with something better. Well, I'm still not so sure if I like it or not, but I didn't want to make you guys wait anymore. So here's chapter 8 and I hope you'll forgive me for the late update. Let's read!

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

* * *

CHAPTER 08

 **CURE ME**

As soon as they arrived at their hotel room Hyde rushed to the bathroom, causing Jackie to laugh. Was he really trying to convince her that kissing was a good idea? He should probably be out of his mind. Of course there was something going on between them, regarding all the teasing, and stares, and even an almost kiss earlier that night, but they had both agreed that they were better as friends. No more pushing, controlling or hurting. That was a healthy relationship which seemed to be achieved only at a friendship level between them.

The brunette dropped her purse on her bed and took off her boots, heading to the balcony after that. She seated on the couch for a few minutes with her knees close to her chest before Steven showed up.

"Hey," he said quietly coming out of the bedroom. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I guess," she started to say. "I'm sorry for cutting the night short. It seemed that you and your mom were finally going somewhere."

"It's okay." He sat down beside her and shrugged. "It wouldn't be a very pleasant dinner anyway with that fourth member."

He placed his left arm on the back of the couch, behind Jackie's shoulders. They remained in silence, looking at the bright Vegas, until the former cheerleader felt his rough fingers drawing circle patterns on her left shoulder.

"Steven, what are you doing?" She asked with a smirk, tilting her head to him.

"What?" He feigned innocence, displaying that cute pretending face that probably only she knew.

"You're not suggesting anything, are you? Because you know it's not a good idea."

He hesitated for a moment. "No... Uh, I was just wondering if you're hungry. After all, we were supposed to have dinner at Edna's."

"Alright." She smiled amused. "We can go downstairs to the hotel restaurant or we can order something."

"What do you prefer?"

She pondered for a while, then said "I'm not very hungry right now actually."

Her doe eyes looked up at him, earning her a grin from her former lover. She was a bad actress too. She wanted to stay here with him as much as he did, but none was brave enough to admit that. So she just snuggled into his embrace, letting his fingers resume the fondling to her shoulder.

* * *

About one hour later, they finally decided to order a pizza and were now lying on the carpet floor, the pizza box opened with a few remaining slices left and lots of empty beer bottles spread over the room. By now, they had had already four bottles each. For Hyde, it wasn't much, but for the petite brunette, the alcohol began to take effect.

"Look at the cheese, Steven. Isn't it beautiful? Look how elastic it his!" Jackie exclaimed in awe with the melted mozzarella on the slice she was having.

"It sure is awesome, doll." Hyde chuckled. Jackie had always been funny when drunk.

"Oh, I miss my cheese maiden job."

"I miss it too." Hyde smirked dreamily at the memory of Jackie's outfit.

The brunette understood his innuendo. "You pig!" She swatted him in the arm, making him laugh.

"What? You were hot in that dress. Hey, do you still have that costume?"

"Hell no! And what am I saying? I don't miss that stinky job. It took me a whole month to get completely rid of the cheese smell on my hair. It was disgusting!" And shoved the last bite of pizza into her mouth, amusing Hyde once more. He'd never seen Jackie eat some 'fat girl' food with such eagerness. He would definitely save this memory for future burns.

"You could still have kept the uniform. I never got the chance to actually _enjoy_ it."

"Oh, poor baby!" She cooed mockingly. "But you got the chance to have fun with other nice outfits, silly. Like my cheerleading uniform, my Sandy costume for Halloween, my wedding gown…"

Hyde grimaced at the statement. "You never wore a wedding gown while we made out."

"No?" She scowled for a few seconds trying to figure out where she took that from, but then shrugged letting it go. "Maybe it was only one of my fantasies," the pretty drunk and oblivious chick confessed, leaving her ex-boyfriend speechless for a few moments.

"Hey, this whole conversation gave me and idea," the tiny brunette continued, raising her excited arms to the ceiling. "We should get married. It's Vegas, baby!"

Hyde's eyes opened wide. What kind of damned spell this damned city held that made every freaking person who put their feet here think about getting married? And what was her problem anyway? One minute she's all 'this is not a good idea, we're just friends' and on the next one she's like 'let's get married'! This chick was crazy and enjoyed messing up with him too.

"Jackie, man, you need to sober up," he said calmer than he actually felt.

Rolling over from his spot on the floor, he reached the mini-fridge, grabbing a bottle of water for his ex-girlfriend, but she refused it. Instead, she spun to him, lying on her side and pouted adorably.

"Ste-veeeen, why won't you marry me?"

"If you were sober you'd realize how stupid this idea is, Jackie," he said sternly trying really hard to not fall for her not so secret weapon, and took the beer away from her, placing it on the top of a stand where she couldn't reach.

"Stupid because it's about marriage or because it's about marrying _me_? Because you didn't think it was stupid when you did it with that skank."

Sure. It was obvious that she would bring this up eventually. He thought that the blonde had already been forgotten, but it was kind of hard to, since the earlier event that night. He also noticed the hurt in her voice as she asked that question. No, it was not about marriage, even less about marring her. He'd actually once considered taking this step with her, but yeah… He'd screwed things up. As always.

"Neither options. Stupid because you're drunk and not thinking straight. Besides, it was stupid back then too. Would've undone it if I could."

An unrestrained smile crept on her lips. "Really?"

Her reaction amused him and his muscles relaxed a bit, so he half-smiled back and nodded. "Yeah… now, please, drink the water or you'll feel like crap tomorrow morning."

He handed her the bottle of water and she finally accepted it, feeling a tiny warm tingle inside her chest.

A while after, the pizza had been eaten up entirely and the laughter and teasing had slowed down. Jackie felt way more sober and she was glad about it. She really hated being hangover. They still lied down on the floor in an i-shape – Hyde's feet pointing to the balcony, Jackie's to the front door. He stared at the cream colored ceiling while she lied on her stomach, resting her cheek over her folded arms.

"Steven, did you miss Sam?" Jackie came up with the question out of the blue, causing her friend to tilt his head to her.

"What? I thought we had dropped this subject."

"I know, but… You seemed pretty upset when she left that time. She'd probably told this to Edna," she explained quietly averting his blue eyes.

The curly haired man faced the ceiling again, blowing a deep sigh. "I didn't miss _her_. I guess I missed the company. When she was there, I knew I would always have someone to put up with my shit, though I also knew I was screwing my life up." He paused for a moment, wetting his lips. "When she left, I realized I was finally alone to face my own problems, and it scared me. Forman wasn't there, neither was Kelso. Donna and Fez where too caught up in their own lives, and you… I didn't have you anymore."

Jackie stared at his profile very quiet. She saw pain and regret flowing through his naked eyes. This boy, this sweet boy, still carried the weight of his bad decisions, and they were killing him little by little. More than forgiving Edna for abandoning him, he had to forgive himself and be forgiven by the ones he'd hurt.

"I forgive you, Steven," she decided to finally respond his earlier apology at the Dam, "and I'm sorry too. Us falling apart wasn't your entire fault."

He looked at her again. "I'm the one who's got something to apologize for, Jackie. Not you."

"Yes, I do." She propped herself up by the elbows, letting a few locks fall loose over her shoulders. "I demanded things you weren't ready for at the time. I get it and I wanna apologize. And what I want _you_ to do is to get rid of this bad feeling inside of you. You can't live regretting your past, Steven. You have to move on."

"I don't wanna move on, Jackie." He saw her puzzled face and continued, avoiding eye contact. "Moving on means that I'm letting you go, and I'm just not ready for it."

"What do you mean?"

"Come on, it's not that difficult to figure. I still wanna be with you, Jackie. I thought I didn't, but this past few days showed me otherwise."

Jackie found herself speechless. He was actually admitting he had feelings for her, that he wanted to be with her. Although she already knew it deep inside, hearing him actually voice it scared the hell out of her. Slowly, she backed off, sitting down on her calves.

"You wanna be with me?" She repeated dumbly.

"Yeah, but I know it won't make a difference." He snapped and began to stand up. "It was a stupid thing to say anyway. You already said that we work better as friends."

She was a bit disappointed with the last sentence, especially because she was the one who brought the friendship stuff up. However the reasonable side of her brain assured her that he was right. They tried many times before and it never worked out. Now they were finally friends, good friends indeed, and it seemed that it would be the best they could go. Why spoil it with jealousy and mistrust?

Hyde rambled around the room kinda angry – Jackie wasn't sure if it was with himself or with her –, gathering empty bottles and the pizza box, then retrieved to the bathroom for his pre-bed procedures. Jackie decided it was time to call it a night indeed. Better not push forward such a complex topic.

Later it was Jackie's turn in the bathroom. She spent the largest amount of time in there, hoping that Hyde would be already asleep when she returned to the bedroom. His words kept prowling around her head – he still wanted to be with her. Did it mean he was still in love with her? _No. No, no, no. You're not thinking about love, missy._

She eventually stepped back inside the dark room, tiptoeing towards her bed. As soon as she settled down, pulling the covers to neck level, she heard Steven's voice calling out in the dark.

"I'm sorry for being rude before. You don't deserve my bullshit. And you were right. I do need to forget about us and move on."

That's when Jackie realized. There was still this unfinished business between them. Although they were setting things up, talking their broken hearts out, they ultimately needed to release themselves from one another.

The brunette remained in silence until the unreasonable side of her mind spoke hard to her. The emotional and wild one that only Steven could reach. That's how he got her to chase around him like a puppy many years ago, or make out with him that summer, or love him with all she got. Her mouth opened up to speak. She would regret saying that later, but she just couldn't help it.

"But what if what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas?"

It took long ten seconds, but eventually she heard the noise of covers being lifted up and soon felt Steven's strong body slipping under her own covers with her. As soon as their bodies touched she grabbed his head, bringing his mouth to crash on hers, reveling in the sweet taste she'd dreamt about for so long. As Steven tugged on the hem of her flannel shirt and slipped it over her head, all thoughts about how this was stupid faded away quickly, being replaced by the ones saying this was what they needed to move on. This was how they were going to cure these painful wound for good.

Closure and forgiveness. That's what this trip was all about. That's what this moment was all about.

 **#**

 **A/N2:** So what do you think? Did it all make sense or not? This whole confrontation and confession stuff is very hard to write so I would really really like to know your impressions. Spill it out! Do not hide anything from me! lol Till next time and thanks for reading!


	9. Release me

**A/N:** Special holiday update! This is a supershort chapter, sorry, but we're close to the end now! Yay?! :) I wish you all the best this holiday, guys; hope you'll have a great time with your family and friends! Don't forget to review! I always love to read what you have to say!

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

* * *

CHAPTER 09

 **RELEASE ME**

Jackie woke up alone.

For a moment disappointment hit her, but then she remembered that last night was agreed to be nothing more than a goodbye. Was it incredible? Yes. Was it even better than she ever imagined it would be? Yes. However, that was all. From now on, they would definitely be just friends, hands down.

She spotted a piece of paper on the pillow next to her and smiled, remembering the other morning she also left a note for Steven. At least they both had been courteous enough to leave messages to their 'bed-sharing friends' before leaving.

 _Doll,_

 _Had some things to work out before we leave. I'll be back for breakfast with you._

 _Your friend Steven_

Yeah, he'd also understood the message, Jackie thought. Then she stood up starting to pack things up for their upcoming departure.

* * *

"I'm really sorry about yesterday, Steven. I didn't mean to cause you any trouble," Edna told her son. They were seated on her living room that Tuesday morning.

"It's okay." He raised a hand as a soothing gesture. "Jackie and I had already worked things out."

"She's not just your friend as she states, is she?"

"No, we really are just friends. At least now. It's just… Sam caused a lot of trouble before, and that's why you really should stay away from her. Jackie only wants to protect me."

Edna nodded. "I see that she really cares about you."

The statement was so true. Even though he'd been an asshole with her almost his entire life, Jackie never stopped caring about him.

"I know that." He nodded too and slapped his knees. "Well, I just came by to say goodbye, and to apologize about storming out yesterday."

Both mother and son stood up and reached over, sharing a genuine hug like actual relatives for maybe the first time in their lives.

"You don't have to apologize, Steven. I wish you the best back home."

"Take care you too," he said sincerely. "And please keep in touch. Maybe I'll visit you sometime again if you reach the west coast."

They released each other and smiled. Edna held a finger, signaling for him to wait a second and stormed off to the hallway. A couple of minutes later, she came back with a small picture frame and handed it to her son.

Hyde took the wooden frame and was taken aback by what he saw. It was a picture of 18-year-old Edna holding a baby. Him. He'd never actually seen any pictures of him as a baby, not even Edna with such a bright smile. And her words last night finally made sense. She did have been happy to have him.

"This is the only photo I've got framed. I keep it in my bedroom. You should have it so you can keep me with you."

He smiled genuinely touched. "Thanks. I really appreciate it."

They hugged for one last time before Hyde left, feeling like one of the two heaviest weights of his life had been taken off his shoulders. Now it was time to face the other one.

* * *

When Hyde arrived at the hotel, Jackie was already dressed to travel and almost all their belongings were ready.

"I packed your things up, if you don't mind." She smiled kindly.

"Not at all." He walked over to her, cupped her face in his hands and gently kissed her lips. "Thanks."

"Steven…"

"I know. It's just because we're still in Vegas." He smirked, and she chuckled. "Last night was, uh… something else." He couldn't just blurt it out how freaking great it had been to be with her once more, and by the shy smile she released, he guessed that she felt the same way.

"Yeah, it was."

"So, are we good?"

She nodded, looking up into his naked eyes. Yes, they were good. At least they were hopefully gonna be.

"Let's just have breakfast and leave this town already."

About seven hours later, they had taken the plane back to Milwaukee and had driven back to Point Place. The black El Camino parked in front of Jackie's building, and Hyde hopped off the car so he could help the petite chick with her luggage.

"So, I guess that's it." Hyde smiled kindly by the front door of the building. "Thanks for coming with me."

Jackie returned the smile. "Thanks for inviting me. Oh, and for the tennis too!" She excitedly pointed down to the sneakers she was wearing.

"No problem. But you really have to use them. I guarantee you that your life will be less painful."

"I will." She laughed. "Uh, Donna and Eric are coming from Madison this weekend, so I guess we'll see each other then. Mrs. Forman will probably invite us over for lunch or whatever."

"That's cool." He nodded. "We could also gather for drinks and dinner at my place Saturday night. It should be fun."

"Sounds good. I'll talk to Donna about that on the phone later."

They stayed in an awkward silence for a few seconds before Jackie leaned in and kissed Hyde's cheek a little bit longer than necessary, giving him time to grab her waist and hold her tight. She hugged him back for a while, feeling like that was really the end of their love story.

"Bye, Steven."

She stepped inside the building and Hyde slowly walked back to his car. He really hoped that other weight would vanish as soon as he dropped her at her place, but the truth was that it had become heavier, almost impeding him to move his legs.

However, he had to move on, just like she told him to the night before. Sticking to the thought that they would somehow be good together was insane.

Friends. Yes, he would have to finally get used to it.

 **#**


	10. Keep me

**A/N:** Yay! This is the very end! Thank you SO much for your support! I hope you guys had enjoyed reading this story and that this final chapter keeps up with your expectations. I've got some other stories on hold, but I probably won't be posting anything new for the next couple months. I'm still reading and reviewing yours though. Happy New Year and I'll see you guys in 2016!

 **Disclaimer:** I own nothing.

* * *

CHAPTER 10

 **KEEP ME**

The rest of the week passed slower than ever. Hyde spent most of his time at Grooves, working to forget about that last night in Vegas with Jackie. Why the hell it kept coming back to his mind? Her kisses, her touch, her heat, her scent. It was almost driving him crazy.

That Friday morning, he decided to do something about this stupid feeling punching painfully his chest. No way could he wait till tomorrow night to see her. He had to come up with some excuse quickly.

"Jackie?"

"Steven, hey!" She said on the phone.

"Hey. Got any plans for tonight?"

"Uh, not really. My girlfriends are kinda slow today. I don't think we're going out tonight."

"That's cool. Do you, uh, wanna come by later? Y'know, eat something, drink, just hang out." He really tried to stay cool, but he wasn't sure if he was convincing the brunette.

"I thought we were doing this tomorrow with Donna and Eric," she joked, starting to get his game, but not wanting to show her own cards.

"Tomorrow is another day," he stated as it was a good explanation, making her chuckle.

"Alright, Steven. I guess I'll come by then."

"Then I'll see you later, my friend."

They said goodbye and hung up. The zenmaster leaned back on his chair in his office at Grooves, breathing heavily, not so sure if he was relieved or even more nervous about the upcoming meeting.

* * *

"So you did had sex, but you're just friends now?" Donna's suspicious voice asked on the other side of the line.

"Uh hum."

"Yeah, right. Tell me a better joke, Jackie."

"What? It's true. And we're having dinner at his place tonight like two good friends do." The brunette stated firmly, propping her tennis clad feet on her office desk. Only Jackie Burkhart to make sneakers look good with working outfit.

"I thought we were doing this tomorrow night," Donna said.

"I told him the exact same thing earlier!"

"Jackie, you know this is all a trap, right? He's obviously not over you and wants to spend some alone time."

"Ugh, Donna, fine!" Jackie exclaimed irritated. "I know this is all bullshit. I know it since the minute he dropped me at home after Vegas. God, I'm so stupid, but I can't help it. I thought about him the whole week. We had these amazing days together – well, not entirely amazing regarding weird moms and ex-stripper wives events – but we actually turned out to have a nice friendship."

"You already had that before this trip, Jackie!" The redhead exclaimed. "You guys were getting along pretty well the last few months. I never told you that, but I was proud of you two. You were acting like actual grownups. But you have to admit it: you guys like each other. I guess you even still _love_ each other."

"But we don't work together, Donna. We all know that."

"Midget, if everything you told me about this trip was true, I have to admit that Hyde is really changed towards you. You told me he apologized for his bullshit more than once. He seemed to be remorseful and opened and sincere. God, when did Hyde was all that to you when you guys were together before? He's changed, Jackie. So do you."

Donna's words kept rambling around the brunette's head the entire day. It became kinda hard to concentrate on work after her innuendos. Could the redhead be right? Could they actually make things work?

Some part of her still held her back, so she decided to just go with the flow and see how it was gonna be tonight. After all, with Steven Hyde things were never really predictable.

* * *

The doorbell rang and Hyde was ready to attend it. His former lover – current friend – stood there with a grin on her face and a bottle of wine in her hands. She wore a casual outfit, which included the sneakers Steven had bought her.

"Nice outfit." He grinned. He was actually enjoying this other side of her. Of course she always looked beautiful in tight dresses and high heels, but this Jackie felt more approachable.

"Why thanks." She kissed his cheek and stepped inside, walking over to the kitchen. "I thought that, if I would be having dinner with a _friend_ , there was no need of dressing to kill."

He smirked and followed her. "You still look pretty good, you know."

The tiny chick rolled her eyes, but smiled anyway. Hyde opened the bottle of wine and poured the liquid inside two glasses, handing one to Jackie.

"So, what are we eating tonight?" She asked after sipping from her cup.

"Not pizza, for sure. Your fat girl episode in Vegas was too much for me." He teased, earning him a swat on the shoulder.

"I'm not a fat girl, Steven!"

"But you acted just like one." Hyde smirked satisfied that he still got to her.

As he came back to the stove, Jackie paced around the living room. There wasn't much ornamentation in his studio apartment, so she was quick to notice a new object standing on the side table.

"Is this Edna?" She asked, holding the picture frame in her hands.

Hyde looked over his shoulder and understood what she was referring to.

"Yeah. And baby Steven."

She chuckled. "Where did you get that from?"

"She gave it to me that morning before we left."

Jackie put the frame down smiling and walked back to the kitchen area.

"It's a beautiful picture, Steven," she told him, friendly rubbing his back while he stirred rice and cream in a pan, and he smiled at her. "Have you guys talked after that?"

"She actually called once to know if we'd arrived well at home."

"That's cool." Jackie leaned back on the kitchen counter and sipped from her glass of wine. "I'm glad you guys kinda caught up. I told you it would be good for you to go there."

"Thanks for pushing me to."

"Except that I didn't. You were the one who actually decided to. And I'm proud of you."

Dinner went by pretty well. The asparagus risotto was cooked to perfection and it matched nicely with the red wine Jackie brought. During the whole time, she couldn't be more proud of her and Steven. Donna's early warnings seemed to have no use since they were getting along like the friends they were supposed to be.

Afterwards, they were both silently sitting on the living room couch, nice music playing on the background, just a few lamps on, the bottle of wine almost empty. Jackie was sitting over her calves, head propped up by the arm resting on the back of the couch, looking down at the glass she was nursing. Steven was slouched on the couch very close to her, looking at the ceiling and arms crossed. Everything was calm and cool until…

"I missed you."

His sincere blue eyes looked at her, making her stop with the twirling of her glass. However, she didn't seem stunned or surprised. He'd just read her thoughts and it didn't feel weird.

"I missed you too," she admitted quietly, and silence took over again, except by the music.

After a while, Hyde broke it again. "So what are we gonna do about it?" She placed her glass of wine on the coffee table and shrugged, making him smirk. "A shrug is not gonna cut it, Jackie," and both grinned wide at the memory of their first make up. They were both so stubborn back then, but now it was time to be different. They'd grown up, they'd matured and they were going to make it right.

Hyde sat straight facing Jackie. They locked gazes, which was both uncomfortable and comforting at the same time.

"Look," Hyde started, "after we got back from Vegas I decided I would finally move on. And I can honestly say that I tried. I tried with all the might I have. But, damn it, Jackie! I couldn't stop missing you. I actually invited you here because I wanted to see you, touch you…" he grabbed her hands and brought them to his lips, causing Jackie's eyelids to close shut, "…be with you somehow. You can say that I'm a coward for giving up so easily, but I just can't help it."

"You're not a coward." She shook her head, speaking quietly. "It's actually pretty brave of you to tell me these things. In fact, you've been more opened with me during this past week than in our entire life together."

"I guess so." He gave her a small smile and their eyes locked again. "And what I told you that last night in Vegas keeps being true. I still wanna be with you and not just as a friend. You may think that we want different things, but I've got this feeling that they're not that different any longer. We're not kids anymore, Jackie."

They looked at each other for a while, which made Hyde almost regret his words. She wasn't reacting the way he assumed she would. He was on the verge to back up and tell her to forget about it, when Jackie opened her mouth to speak.

"Then keep me."

Hyde grinned relieved. He didn't hesitate a second and landed his longing lips on hers, gently cupping her cheeks. Jackie responded by clutching her fingers into his curls, attempting to bring him as close as humanly possible. It felt so good, so right, that the whole world around them faded away.

Hyde leaned forward, coaxing Jackie to lie on her back. His hands roamed over her tiny body, stroking every curve they could find. Her skin was like porcelain and he wanted to feel it right in contact with his. He reached between their bodies, attempting to unbutton his chick's shirt, when suddenly the brunette stopped him with both hands on his chest.

"What?" He asked astonished. "Have I done something wrong?"

"No, it's just…" She chuckled, puzzling her lover even more. "I have to do something first. Would you wait for me in the bedroom?"

He stared at her through narrowed eyes, a bit annoyed by her sudden reaction. You don't stop a guy when he's in the middle of something important, he though, but decided to comply. After all, they'd just made up.

"I promise you'll like it." The smiling chick kissed him quickly and, grabbing her purse, headed to the bathroom.

A couple of minutes later, Hyde was sitting on the edge of his bed; his nether regions twitching painfully when the bathroom door opened, displaying a slim and curvy silhouette clad in nothing more nothing less than a sexy black nightgown. She leaned playfully on the doorframe, laughing coyly, which made his annoyed frown turn into the brightest grin ever.

"How did you know you'd be using this tonight if we were supposed to be just friends?" He smiled mischievously.

"A girl's gotta be prepared."

"Naughty Jackie," he teased, making her gasp in feigned shock.

"As you have invited me over without ulterior motives, Steven."

He stood up and grabbed onto his girlfriend's waist. His blue eyes stared firmly into hers, full of bliss and love and care. He felt like true happiness had finally hit him and apparently, it was going to settle down.

"I'm never letting you go again," he whispered to her as the distance between their lips decreased.

"That's what I'm counting on, baby."

The old – and new – lovers resumed the earlier lip lock, encircling each other's bodies with all the might they had. As they laid down on the bed, Jackie couldn't help but think that tomorrow she would have to annoyingly admit to Donna that she was right. However, it didn't bother her at all, because now she was where she was always meant to be. She was inside Steven's arms again. Her love. Forever.

 **#**

 **THE END**


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